Stags to launch blind football team

Stags are set to launch their new blind football team, Mansfield Town Blind FC, which aims to provide more opportunities for visually impaired people to get involved in the sport.

The project will be ran by England blind international and Stags’ fan Nathan Edge, alongside coach Pete Jones-Hall.

Mansfield Town Blind FC’s initial goal is to engage more people in the local area in the sport, with a long term plan of eventually fielding a team in the National Blind League. The team have received funding from the FA’s ‘Grow the Game’ scheme, with support from the Radford Foundation.

The team’s captain, Nathan Edge, said: “I’m very excited to be working on this project alongside Pete.

“I’ve known Pete for many years now before introducing him to blind football just over a year ago in a coaching capacity, and I feel he shares the same passion and enthusiasm as I do to make this project a success.”

Manager David Flitcroft said: “I think it [blind football team] is amazing. It’s like any new initiative. We’re a community club and it’s important that the reach is all around Mansfield.

“I met Nathan [Edge] about four weeks ago, and I was inspired by him. I’m inspired by how he wants to get people out who possibly think to themselves that it might be difficult.

“I think it’s really important that Nathan is the driver of it. The enthusiasm for what he’s doing and bringing people together is unique.

“We’ll do everything we can to push it and get people coming in to play it. That sense of belonging, and that sense of being part of something, I just think it’s massive.”

Mansfield Town Blind FC will be hosting their first session on Sunday 26 August from 2pm-4pm, and every Sunday from then onwards. The sessions will take place on the 3G pitches at One Call Stadium.

To begin with, players must be over 16 years of age, with the sessions open to any gender. The club welcomes both beginners and experienced players.